3D technology for effective product development – bonprix relies on 3D Vidya from Assyst

With five own brands and a new collection every month, speed and efficiency are just as much a part of product development at bonprix as a keen sense of trends and quality. The internationally successful fashion company is now introducing 3D-Vidya from Assyst for virtual clothing simulation in order to make product development processes even more efficient, flexible and resource-efficient in the future.

The vertically integrated fashion retailer bonprix constantly picks up on the latest trends for its customers and offers them a comprehensive range of styles and sizes for numerous occasions. However, the journey from idea to finished product is often time-consuming and resource-intensive. To speed up collection development and reduce the number of physical samples at the same time, bonprix is introducing Assyst's 3D Vidya. The 3D simulation software makes it possible to digitally visualise garments and display them as three-dimensional samples on a screen. This allows designers to see how a garment looks, how it drapes and how the fit can be optimised – without the need for physical samples. With just a few clicks, fabrics and colours can be changed in a flash, making it easy to try out different variations. ‘The special thing about 3D product simulation is that you can see what you're getting before it's produced. This saves a lot of resources, time and costs and gives us much more flexibility in product development,’ says Stefanie Sumfleth, Head of Quality Management, Corporate Responsibility & Digital Product Development at bonprix. ‘This enables us to respond even more quickly and efficiently to trends, increase the quality of our products and thus also the satisfaction of our customers. With Assyst and its 3D-Vidya tool, we have the right partner at our side for this project.’

bonprix is initially introducing 3D-Vidya for the product development of shirts, nightwear, blouses and shirts. ‘We are actively supporting the bonprix team with the introduction and will gradually expand its use to other product groups,’ says Dr Andreas Seidl, Managing Partner at Assyst. "Our goal with 3D Vidya is to significantly reduce the number of physical samples. With 3D, many costly changes to samples can be avoided because the garment can be checked for various requirements at an early stage. Ideally, only a single sample will be created in real life before production starts."

Eliminating physical samples not only makes the collection development process faster and more efficient, it also significantly reduces the amount of materials used in product development. At the same time, it eliminates the often long transport routes that samples manufactured abroad, for example, have to travel to be coordinated with product managers in the UK. The use of 3D Vidya therefore also has a positive impact on the ecological balance – an important plus point for the fashion company bonprix, which continuously reviews and develops the entire value chain for sustainability aspects in its CR strategy.